Great Leaders Are Visible

Leaders that are visible lead by example. They lead with openness and honesty. They trust the people who work with them so they lead without the need to micromanage. They instinctively know how to inspire and make everyone around them better. They lead with genuine passion and a lack of fear. And, most importantly, they lead with real humanity.

Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s lonely at the top”? I bet that it can be, but not for the visible leader.

By being visible, available, and caring, leaders can see and learn if people need help. One of the most important lessons a leader or manager should know is the impact of supporting their team.

There is no other action that demonstrates a commitment to their team more than to show them that they, too, are willing to do the work they expect of others. It can be the most valuable action that a manager or leader will ever take.

Being visible demonstrates a desire to be engaged in their work and with the people, they work with. These actions speak volumes about what a leader’s attitude is on work and the value of their teams; that they care and value people. There should certainly be an “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine type of atmosphere.”

As a result of their own ability to courageously be both vulnerable and authentic, visible leaders are able to connect emotionally with other people. They understand the power of a well-communicated message and the importance of taking others with you on the journey into the future.

In being visible, great leaders establish trust (deservedly so), and they prove their worthiness of trust and loyalty on a consistent basis.

God made his love visible by sending us his Son.“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

Jesus did not hide and certainly did not make himself invisible. One of the most important points of his life, I believe, was that he was real. He was Lord in a very visible form. He was very human. He walked among us. He talked to us, he ate with us, and he touched us.

When the Roman soldiers came to arrest him, he did not hide. He stood up and said, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Let the rest of them go.”

Jesus spoke in the streets, on the mountaintops, every party he went to, and in the synagogues. He never stopped teaching and loving us, and he did it amongst us, not hidden away. Others had to write down his stories and teachings because he was too busy with being visible and actively engaging with people.

“There is nothing like being visible, publishing one’s work, and speaking openly about one’s life, to disabuse the world of the illusion of one’s perfection and purity”

– Joyce Maynard

Any leader that wants to be light and truth needs to make them visible and be out in the open. Their lives need to be transparent. They need to be humble and admit their faults and mistakes. Jesus was certainly the ultimate example of a great leader making themselves visible.

As the President and Founder of Credo, Dan advises clients with a strategic CFO mentality, in all aspects of accounting, finance, tax, operational strategy and best practices. He also directs the Credo team in establishing the strategies for the growth of the firm and continually raising the bar on its standards of exceeding clients’ expectations.He has accrued broad financial experience working with companies ranging in revenues from $50,000 to $60 billion.Dan has worked with technology services, software, real estate, retail, manufacturing companies, professional services firms, marketing/advertising agencies, dental practices, medical practices, and various other industries, providing each with the specific financial guidance needed to establish sustained business growth and financial health.